1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to solid deodorizers and, more particularly, to solid deodorizers for ostomy pouches.
2. Description of the Related Art
Due to heredity, injury, or disease, part or all of the large or small intestine of a person may have to be surgically removed, and the stoma (the remaining end of the large intestine or the small intestine) is brought up to the abdominal surface as an ostomy (a surgically created opening in the body for the discharge of bodily wastes). An ostomy pouch is then placed over the ostomy to collect the bodily wastes. A properly-fitted ostomy pouch neither leaks nor smells. An ostomy pouch is typically useful for several days before it must be replaced, but the pouch will eventually become full so one must periodically open the tail of the pouch (open end pouch), or detach the pouch from the ostomy (closed end pouch), and then empty the collected bodily wastes from the pouch.
During this emptying process the pouch is not covering the ostomy, or the tail of the pouch is open, so gases in the pouch may escape into the surrounding environment and create an undesirable odor. To avoid this problem a deodorizer is often placed in the ostomy pouch. One type of conventional deodorizer is a liquid, and another type of conventional deodorizer is a tablet. Unfortunately, in some prior art ostomy pouches, when the pouch is emptied the liquid or tablet is discarded along with the bodily wastes. Thus, the person is required to have on hand a replacement container of the deodorizing liquid or a replacement deodorizing tablet. Adding liquid to the pouch can be awkward and messy, and any spilled liquid deodorizer may stain or bleach clothing. A tablet does avoid the problem of spillage but, with respect to both conventional tablets and liquids, either some replacement liquid or a replacement tablet is required to be on-hand when the ostomy pouch is emptied. Replacement liquids and tablets are, however, easily forgotten, misplaced, or left behind due to size or weight considerations, especially when the person is traveling.
Prior art solutions to the problem of a non-odorous ostomy pouch include a variety of ways of delivering the deodorizing agent or removing the odor from the emanating gasses, such as liquids, tablets, powders, separate pouches, separate bags, separate sections for containing the deodorizer, capsules (rupturable or dissolvable), coatings on the inside of the pouch, filters (replaceable or not), and rupturable strips containing the deodorizer, the strips being bonded to, welded to, loose inside of, or adhesively affixed to, the pouch. The prior art also discloses various ingredients for the deodorizing agent, such as activated charcoal, glycerin, and hydrogen peroxide. Some of these solutions, however, pose problems in themselves if they must be directly handled. For example, a charcoal powder leaves a black residue which, if it gets on a person's fingers, can be easily transferred to the person's clothes; glycerin, if it gets on a person's fingers, can leave a greasy stain on the person's clothes; and hydrogen peroxide, if not carefully dispensed, can spill and cause bleach spots on a person's clothes.
Also, prior art liquid deodorizers are bulky and messy, prior art deodorizers which are loose in the ostomy pouch are prone to being lost when the pouch is emptied, deodorizers which are placed in the pouch at the time of manufacture may be prone to loss, breakage or leakage during shipment and storage, and special internal bags and compartments increase the cost of the pouch.